


A Good Kind Of Ache-The Silent Child

by JodieWhittakerisbae



Category: Short Films, The Silent Child (Short Film)
Genre: Beautiful, Bicycles, British Sign Language, Childhood, Children, Cute, Cute Kids, Deaf, Deaf Character, F/F, Family, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Films, Fluff, Gay, Gay Character, Gay Parents, If you only read one work by me, Lesbian Character, Love, One Big Happy Family, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Sad and Sweet, Short, Sign Language, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:00:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29638458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JodieWhittakerisbae/pseuds/JodieWhittakerisbae
Summary: HEY YOU! YES YOU, YOU READING THIS, WITH THE BEAUTIFUL EYES AND BEAUTIFUL SKIN AND BEAUTIFUL HEART AND WONDERFUL, COMPLEX PERSONALITY! Whoa, sorry for shouting there, just wanted to get your attention. You were about to skip past this weren't you? Not that I'm accusing you or anything, you can do what you like and me shouting at you won't change anything. But I assure you if you watch this short film and read my fan fiction, they will be better than you expected. I promise. ♡＾▽＾♡Okay, this is a fan fiction for a wonderful, Oscar winning short film called The Silent Child, but with a femslash twist cuz lesbians make everything better in my opinion!  the link is in the notes if that's your kinda thing. You do need to have watched the film to understand this properly, and its such a great short film, it shouldn't be a burden
Relationships: Joanne/Orignal Female Character Joanne & Libby Libby & Orginal Female Character





	A Good Kind Of Ache-The Silent Child

**Author's Note:**

> https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2GbxFIVQv8c&list=PL9oI7oDUXZsvQLEc5bdq6oYa6V63YMgJH&index=1
> 
> Here's the short film ^^^^. It was just in my recommended, I have absolutely nothing to do with I, but it's absolutely beautiful, and even inspired me to learn the alphabet in British sign language. (also it doesn't hurt that Rachel Shenton is really pretty.)
> 
> This fic is meant to be set sometime before Libby's first day at school. 
> 
> I did want to post this sooner, but doe to technical issues I had to rewrite this a few times, but here it is! I thin it all makes sense now. Fingers crossed. 
> 
> I do hope you enjoy and I hope I introduced you to a beautiful short film that you otherwise wouldn't have seen.

. 

. Today Jo had asked Sue if she could take Libby to her house for a change, and, though she had been wary at first, Jo had convinced her to give in, and so the pair rode across the country road on Jo's old bike, Libby hanging tight on her back like a baby monkey to it's mother. Although maybe that simile was a too exact, as Jo was starting to worry that Libby favored her over her own mother, but there was a part of her, deep down, that was secretly smug when she realized this. 

It had been a warm summer, and so the weathered road was brittle and cracked beneath her battered bike tires, the sun shone low In the sky, as it was still early morning. Birds chirped in passing trees and the warm breeze tousled their hair slightly. As Jo approached her driveway, she slowed and leant her bike against a crumbling wall enclosing her house. Libby jumped down from her place on the woman's back and Jo asked her in sign language,

"Are you okay?"

"Yep! That was fun!" The girl replied, a grin on her face.

Jo laughed in response, took Libby's hand and went to open the post box red door that led into her cozy country home that she shared with her girlfriend, Penny. As soon as she entered, she could here the familiar sound of a typewriter coming from upstairs. She signed to Libby to take her shoes and coat off and shouted upstairs,

"Penny! We've got a visitor!" Her girlfriend must not have heard them enter above the noise of her typewriter, she was working on a play script.

"Your home early!" The woman said as she rushed down stairs, holding a beret to her head. Though when she saw Libby and realized they didn't have an adult visitor, she looked less flustered, and slowed her pace.

Penny kissed Jo lightly on the forehead as a welcome and asked,

"Is this the Libby I've heard so much about?"

"Yeah, I'm looking after her for the day, thought we could come here for a change of scenery." Jo explained.  
  


Libby then pointed at Jo's girlfriend and asked " Who are you?"  
  


"This is my girlfriend, Penny." Jo explained.  
  


"Okay." The girl said, the two women smiled at her accepting attitude.  
  


Jo then asked Libby, "Do you want to go and explore? "  
  


The child simply smiled and ran off down the hallway in response, Jo not far behind, though the woman stopped at the threshold of the kitchen, turned to Penny and asked,  
  


"You coming?"  
  


Her girlfriend gasped in slightly exaggerated delight and said "Yeah!"  
  


The pair ran of into their garden about an acre in size, though they had no shoes on, it was dry, and Jo was determined to make sure Libby didn't stand on any dozing bees. Penny walked behind them, so as not to disturb. When she finally caught up to the pair, she found them sat on a bench at the end of the garden, talking, or rather signing, excitedly to one another. As she saw her girlfriend approach, Jo told Penny,  
  


"Libby says we have a beautiful house."  
  


Penny did the sign for thank you in return, utilizing the little sign language her girlfriend had taught her. Sitting down next to them, she asked,  
  
  


"Could you two teach me some more sign language? "

Jo translated for Libby and the girl nodded her head enthusiastically.

And so the pair proceeded to go through the alphabet with her, which she seemed to pick up quite well. Or at least she thought she was doing well until they started learning some trickier words, Libby began laughing and Jo looked like she was trying to hide a snigger unsuccessfully.

"What? Am I doing it wrong?" Penny asked.

"You're not very good." Libby signed to her, and Jo told her what it meant, now fully laughing.

After a short stint of pretending to be annoyed, Penny joined them laughing. How could she be mad at the two cutest frigging people in the world? As the laughter died down, Jo's face lit up as she gave a child-like gasp and said and signed at the same time,

"Why don't we go and make cookies?"

The other two gave affirmative noises and so they headed back into the kitchen, Libby holding tight to both the women's hands.

***

Soon floury chaos ensued, a full on flour fight had taken place, and now the three girls had flour in their hair and on their clothes, their cheeks ached from laughing and smiling. It was a good ache, definitely a good ache. A sweet ache. The most beautiful ache in the world, full of love and longing and happiness. Anyone would think they were family, and Jo did consider the two wonderful Human Beings in front of her as family. Right in that moment they were family, all three of them.

That evening, Libby rode home happy, their mouths still tasting of an afternoon of cookie-munching and wild berry picking, but sad that the day was over so soon. 

**Author's Note:**

> I got the idea of Libby riding on Jo's back from Adult Life Skills, my absolute favorite film in the whole wide world, which you should definitely check out, even if you're not a massive fan of Jodie Whittaker like me. 
> 
> I could elaborate and dig deeper into the characters in more detail, since I have maybe a couple ideas for more chapters?! Maybe?! Let me know if you would want to see that. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading and supporting me when I'm in my mega film buff mood.


End file.
